There's no doubt that the anticipation leading up to "The Last Dance" was through the roof. Now, just two weeks and four episodes into the documentary series, the numbers are backing that up. According to a report from Bloomberg, metrics used by Parrot Analytics show that the ESPN series about the 1997-98 Chicago Bulls has topped Netflix's "Tiger King" as the "most in-demand documentary in the world."
The series is as "in-demand" globally as "Friends" and "The Mandalorian," according to the report.
"The Last Dance" was one of the 20 most in-demand shows in the world this week, according to Parrot Analytics, a research firm that tracks audience interest using data that includes social-media conversations and piracy. The show is even more popular in the U.S., where it ranked as 11th this week.
Netflix debuted all seven episodes of "Tiger King" on March 20 and the series was the talk of the internet for a few weeks. However, it didn't take long for "The Last Dance" to catch up after debuting on April 19 with its first two episodes.
"We are tracking a rise in demand for sports documentaries during the coronavirus pandemic," Parrot Analytics director of partnerships Steve Langdon told Bloomberg.
Through the first quarter of 2020, "The Last Dance" has already been established as the most-watched documentary series in ESPN's history. Not bad for a series that ESPN was supposed to debut in June but moved up to April because of the coronavirus pandemic.
"Episodes 3 and 4 averaged 5.9 million viewers across ESPN and ESPN2 from 9-11 p.m. ET, with episode 3 (9-10 p.m.) averaging 6.1 million viewers and episode 4 (10-11 p.m.) averaging 5.7 million viewers, based on initial Nielsen reporting," ESPN's Isabelle Lopez said in a press release earlier this week.
The two most recent episodes of "The Last Dance" centered around rebounding machine Dennis Rodman and his wild antics during his time with the Bulls. Considering the type of following that the series has established, this could be one of the most popular documentary series of all-time by the time the finale airs later in May.
isdohfiodasgiohdsagh on May 1st, 2020 at 17:17 UTC »
The title is wrong, and the article has misunderstood the data. Parrot Analytics only looked at a week-long period, and has questionable methods on top of that. At best, The Last Dance has been the most popular documentary series of the last week or so, not necessarily the most popular of 2020.
TooShiftyForYou on May 1st, 2020 at 15:51 UTC »
Michael Jordan has successfully controlled his likeness since he came into the NBA in 1984 by opting out of the players' union's group licensing program, figuring correctly he could make exponentially more by doing his own marketing deals. This is why he was never in video games in the 90s. The fact that they've had unseen all-access footage from his last season with the Bulls for 20+ years and got him to agree to release it at the same time when there are no other sports makes this must see viewing for any basketball fan.
kwtb on May 1st, 2020 at 14:54 UTC »
It’s been A+